1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to a hobby robot and, more specifically, to a support structure for use with the hobby robot.
2. Description of Related Art
Building a robot from scratch is an excellent way to learn a lot about robotics, but is not the only way to get started. A robot kit that includes a pre-fabricated platform or support structure, motor, wheels, etc. can assist a builder through the initial learning curve and save a builder time, frustration and money, so that the builder can more quickly enter the programming or customizing aspects of robotics.
Currently, manufactured robotic platforms are extremely crude, garage-built, proprietary units, as currently no build standards exist in the field of robotic platforms. In terms of existing commercial robotic platforms, a fixed-shelf approach is utilized for mounting hardware and related peripherals to the robot. Although the fixed-shelf approach is appropriate for containing the hardware and related peripherals on the actual robot during actual use of the robot, the fixed-shelf approach is not conducive to continued upgrades or modifications that a builder may perform on the robot. Namely, replacing or modifying a specific piece of hardware may require the temporary removal of other hardware in order to provide manageable access to that specific piece of hardware. In the robotics field, especially during the initial build and testing process, hardware and peripherals may need to be constantly replaced or modified until an intended function of the robot operates satisfactorily. With each such replacement or modification attempt, it is usually the case that the temporarily removed hardware is thereafter reattached and/or reconnected so that the robot can be tested to determine the degree of success of the replacement or modification attempt. The aforementioned process may occur repeatedly during the course of an initial build or at a later time when only modifications are made to an existing hardware and peripheral configuration of the robot. The removal of hardware only for the purposes of accessing other hardware adds unproductive time to the build or modification process. This may result in added frustration on the part of the builder, as he or she may already be frustrated due to the fact that a certain intended aspect of building or modification is not proceeding or performing as intended.
It is, therefore, desirable to overcome the above problems and others by providing a robotic platform or support structure that allows a builder to efficiently build and modify a robot.